butterfly kisses
by canyouplaypretend
Summary: but she didn't. a n d i t w a s i n s p i r i n g.  part one of my Cade series


Cat Valentine lives for bright lights and flashy cameras.

She smiles her prettiest smile that makes all the boys melt and drool and all the girls burn and sneer. She blows kisses with her painted red lips. She shimmies in her sparkly dresses and highest heels and the camera captures her like a beautiful goddess in a golden net.

but they only capture the Cat Valentine at her brightest…they have no idea who Cat is…

/

Jade West shines in spotlights and red carpets.

People thought she was going downhill after Hollywood Arts – she was the bitter, mean Gothic girl that dated Beck Oliver who could write, sing, dance and act. But she proved them wrong. And it felt so good proving them wrong - they never knew her anyways. After graduating Hollywood Arts, she auditioned for the leading female role in the predicted biggest movie of the century and snagged the part before Vega could sniff it out.

but hollywood changed Jade…and turned her into the Jade West…

/

Cat never had a lucky hand in romance.

But e v e r y boy in the 5 mile radius of Cat Valentine adored her.

Cat liked lots of boys but Tori Vega always came in and stole them. It can be debatable if Cat stole Danny or Tori stole Danny (honestly the two had broken up 11 months before so Cat couldn't really steal him, per se) but Tori definitely stole RobbieShapiro and AndreHarris.

Robbie always had some c r e e p y obsession on her. He had secret cut-outs of her - three different ones. Her number was first on his speed dial, even though they rarely texted or called each other. He even asked her to Tori's stupid Prome and accused her of lying when he thought her date wasn't even there. And just when Cat was starting to melt and fall for him from his "secret" love poems and love songs – Tori swooped in and jutted out her famous cheekbones and wrapped her fingers in his belt loops, batting her Latina eyelashes.

bye-bye Cabbie.

Cat took comfort in Andre who helped her get over the "delusional nerd". She was sure he was falling for her too after sharing black raspberry ice cream cones and Mama Gino's pizza and swinging in the parks. But one day when he got up to use the bathroom and left his phone – she couldn't help but stare at the bright flashing screen.

Tori 3:

Is Cat still over? God – make her leave and get your sexy ass over here! ;)

She couldn't run fast enough out the door.

/

Jade had only ever dated one boy ()

But Jade West dated boys.

Jade and Beck had s o m e t h i n g. That special something that everybody wants to have in life and some are lucky enough to find young. They were perfect – she was ice, he was fire, she was black, he was white, she was mean, he was nice. He understood her when she was pure bitch and she saw past his "I'm okay"s. They were a puzzle, lost pieces waiting to be put together and form a beautiful picture.

(but there was always one piece missing and guess who found it?)

Tori had to be some kind of manipulative, boyfriend-stealing expert because as soon as the Bade puzzle started to lose pieces, she swooped in like a beautiful, hungry vulture and soon Bade became Bori.

everybody thought bori was boring anyways.

Jade played it cool. She didn't become Miss. Bitch of the Universe or threaten to murder Tori even more than before or become really violent when other kids irritated her by simply being. She pretended she didn't even give a fuck when Beck and Tori's hands intertwined or when their lips met at the lunch table.

Instead she noticed the silent, hurt, angered faces of Cat, Robbie and Andre and took relief in the fact she wasn't hurting alone.

/

Cat missed her red velvet cupcake hair. After leaving Hollywood Arts, she stopped dying her hair to live in a pretend fantasy and let it be brown once more. She even stopped straightening it every day and found her childhood again.

But after running into her three days ago – she realized she absolutely, positively, completely did not want to look anything like that – that …. Tori Vega.

So she ran over to her hair dresser and requested she immediately turn it red again.

While her hair dresser worked butterfly magic through her soft hair, Cat flipped through a celebrity gossip magazine. It was full of that crap – the stuff she always rolled her eyes at – but she still thumbed through the pages and lost herself in the drama.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are getting divorced.

Blah.

Beyonce and Rihanna both wearing the same dress at red carpet event – OMG!

Blah, blah.

Is Rebecca Black trying to make a new single?

Blah, blah, BLAH.

Is Justin Bieber cheating on longtime girlfriend, Selena Gomez, with Jade West?

Blah, blah, bl – wait, what?

Her mocha eyes stopped skimming through the page and set her eyes on the small, but deadly, article.

Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber and teen icon Jade West have been reportedly caught hanging out for multiple trips to the ice cream store or at the local mall recently these past two weeks. Is something heating up between the two stars? What does Selena know?

Cat tapped her fingers to her forehead as her head was massaged with dye. She remembered the famous incident at Hollywood Arts, all right, when Tori stole Beck from Jade. Everyone – including herself – thought Jade would skip school, become anti-social, even more bitchier than usual.

But she didn't.

a n d i t w a s i n s p i r i n g

She still sat with them at lunch, at their regular lunch table. And when Beck and Tori began to swap spit with each other, she didn't run away or throw her lunch at Tori. She almost seemed to be studying Andre and Robbie and Cat. She had a unreadable expression on her face but Cat could tell she was hurting like the rest of them.

b e c a u s e o f s t u p i d t o r i v e g a

/

Jade West decided she wanted ice cream one especially hot morning in LA.

She thought about texting Justin, but stopped herself. They had already been spending too much time together for paparazzi standards.

It was hot outside but the streets were crowded with laughing people and happy tension so Jade decided to walk the short three blocks.

Her big white sunglasses, messy bun and Daisy Dukes weren't a disguise to hide from her fans however.

(it was to hide from torivega.)

Jade had run into the wicked witch a couple weeks ago and immediately regretted not punching her in the face right then and there.

(but that would have ruined her reputation and gotten her manager extraextraextra mad so she contained her regret in a little locked jar of broken hearts)

She noticed the big, fat, diamond ring on her left ring finger but didn't ask.

Tori had already begun talking anyways.

"It was sooooo romantic how he proposed," She gushed. "We went shopping earlier, then to the movies, and saw a really romantic movie, and then back home for a nice, romantic dinner when he started –"

blah blah blah. she said "romantic" too much anyways.

"Hey Tori?"

"Uh-"

"Remember how back at Hollywood Arts I absolutely hated you?"

"Oh yes,"

"Well nothing's changed."

Jade shook the memory from her head as she walked in the doors of Frozen and Fabulous. Who cares about Tori anyways?

She didn't deserve Jade's fist on her hideous face.

But she stopped dead in her tracks once she saw who was walking unconsciously towards her.

"Cat?" Jade whispered, almost as if in a dream.

Cat Valentine had been licking her black raspberry ice cream cone and looking at her phone when she heard Jade.

"Hello!" Cat said cheerily, not recognizing her old best friend. "I love those sunglasses –"

"Cat, it's me," Jade cut her off, her voice still low.

Cat's sparkling eyes narrowed into something that looked like bitter hatred. "I told you Tori, I never wanted to talk to you again."

The fact that Cat could not recognize her enough to mistake her for that b i t c h made Jade's heart crumble.

She ripped off the celebrity glasses and blinked her icy blue eyes. "It's Jade,"

Cat's eyes sparkled once again. "Jade? Oh my, it's actually you!"

Cat carelessly dropped her ice cream and phone to the floor and crushed Jade into a hug. Jade would have peeled her off and snapped at her but Jade West wrapped her arms around the petite red head and g i g g l e d a little.

"I missed you," she whispered so low that she barely even heard herself.

/

After running into Jade at the ice cream store, she couldn't stop thinking about the girl she lost contact with three years ago.

What happened to the mean Jade?

Was she actually sneaking around with Justin Bieber?

Does she still remember our friendship?

What happened to us?

The icy blue eyes and brown ringlets of her friend swirled in her mind like her favorite song. She genuinely felt something as her hot pink pen started to write music on her paper.

She was working on her album but had zero inspiration. So far the only good thing she liked on her album was the fact she decided instead of 20 songs – there would only be 13.

And now, she had an idea, inspiration. She couldn't fit all the metaphors and dreams and happiness fast enough –

But wait... this isn't right…

When she first learned she would be recording her album, she was dating this nice guy named Johnny. He was cute and supported as soon as she told him the news. And he was great and all but she lacked that s p e c i a l interest from him. She would stay up all night trying to right something about their love – but she had nothing.

zip. zero. zilch. nada.

So why was she practically bursting of sparks for an entire album because of the girl who practically tormented her, her entire life, but was still the closest thing to a sister she ever had?

Cat put down her pen and carefully studied her new lyrics.

We're like a song and I'm the harmony

Cause I only sound my best when you're with me

Maybe I know, maybe I don't know what this is

Maybe we're moving on with butterfly kisses

Cat closed her pastel pink dusted eyelids and pursed her red lipstick stained lips. This wasn't a love song. No, not at all. It was about moving on….with a friend.

/

As Jade sat at her computer, looking at the script her director sent her, her eyes gravitated towards her phone. Then towards the clock. (anywhere but her script)

10:59 pm.

It was late but she couldn't help herself. She picked up the phone and began texting Cat.

For the past two weeks since they ran into each other at the ice cream store, they had been texting non-stop. Random texts mostly, like "What are you doing?" "I'm watching a movie." "Can you kiss a shark and not have it eat you two seconds after?"

Jade thought back to Hollywood Arts (the dark days) where they barely texted at all and Cat was the ditzy redhead and Jade was the Wicked Bitch of the West.

For supposed "best friends" they rarely even talked to each other. Jade was always wrapped up with Beck and Cat was always wrapped up with Tori.

w e r e t h e y r e a l l y e v e n f r i e n d s a t a l l ?

Jade's attention snapped back to her blinking phone.

writing an album is hard. :(

"Paying attention to this script is hard," Jade thought to herself as she typed a reply.

whatcha got?

Jade tried to concentrate on her purple highlighted lines.

"It's not like I don't like Cameron…I just don't like him"-

Her brightened phone screen tore her away from why she didn't really like Cameron.

it's confusing…it's like i have it completely right or completely wrong...

im lost...?

me too. can you come over?

already in my car. :)

Well that was a lie and a half. Technically she was already almost out the door, car keys in hand, when she realized she had to have that entire 120 page script memorized by tomorrow.

Jade struggled with the idea to just drop it and fake sick the next day or tell Cat she was too busy.

She was still "deciding" five minutes later as she drove onto the highway.

…..

"And I'm completely flustered!" Cat explained, close to hysterics. "I was supposed to have this song finished last week!"

"It's getting off to a good start - why don't you like it?" Jade asked reading the four lines of lyrics for the 5,897th time.

"Because..." Cat sighed, falling back onto her pink couch. "It's...like a story. But I don't know who...and I don't know why...and I can't think straight,"

Jade picked up a pen. "Is this it? Is this all you have?"

Cat nodded and threw a pillow across the room.

Jade clicked the pen and dragged it across the paper gracefully. She could feel Cat's eyes glued to her black fingernails but she continued writing as if she was trapped in a box, unable to escape. Regret, heartbreak, and anger flowed like a river on the page, all her memories from Hollywood Arts.

Missing puzzles pieces I'll never find

Maybe it matters but there's no time

Take my hand and let's fly away

I'll bring us closure today

"Ah this is terrible -" Jade started to say, beginning to crumble the paper when Cat snatched it out of her hands.

"No wait...this is perfect," Cat murmured, picking up her own lyrics. "We could combine this,"

"You want to use that? Ew, why?"

"Yes! Of course! You were always talented, Jadey, even more talented than...will you stay with me to finish the rest?" Cat's smile faded as they remembered their old classmate and bitter enemy. Who knew eight letters could bring so many emotions?

But Jade really couldn't stay. She had to memorize her lines, of which she had none memorized, and get to work by 8 AM. But she looked into Cat's big brown eyes, which cried for help, and sighed.

"Of course I will."

/

Cat couldn't help but skip into the recording studio the next day. She finally had finished a complete song and she was practically bursting of joy.

u n t i l s h e s a w w h o w a s s t a n d i n g i n s i d e h e r s t u d i o

"Kitty-Cat!" Her manager, Bobby, greeted her happily. "Guess who -"

"Cat?" Andre interrupted Bobby, staring into her soul. "Cat, what-"

"You two know each other?" Bobby interrupted Andre this time, staring back and forth between the two as if they were having an intense tennis match.

#payback

Cat couldn't speak. Hell, she couldn't breathe.

"Yeah, we went to high school together," Andre answered for her when it was clear that Cat was not going to be saying anything anytime soon.

#

"Well I'm glad you two know each other then," Bobby explained. "it'll make things more fun around the studio. Kitty-Cat, you and Andre are going to be recording a duet together!"

Cat's heart sped faster and faster and faster and faster until she started becoming dizzy and suffocated.

"I...I wrote a song. Last night with my best friend Jade," She finally stuttered, taking in Andre's completely befuddled look. "I hope you like it."

She slammed the papers down on the table and couldn't get out of the room fast enough.

/

After explaining to her agent, manager, and director why she didn't know any single one of her lines - Jade West was not in the mood to tolerate anybody.

Which is why she was convinced that God hated her when He sent Beck Oliver to her dressing room.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Jade hissed as she wiped a napkin on her coffee-spilled shirt.

"You were always pleasant in the mornings," Beck said cockily as he leaned against her doorframe like a bad boy waiting to sweep the good girl off her feet.

"Who cares," Jade snapped as she walked to her closet and pulled out a new shirt. "It's not like you ever cared."

She stepped inside her closet and shut the doors so he couldn't see the pained look on her face as she swapped shirts.

"You always thought I never cared," Beck said softly, but loud enough for her to hear, "but I always did. Every day and every second. I remember everything about you, Jade...and I miss you."

Jade froze.

no. hell to the motherfucking no. he couldn't come to her dressing room and pretend he still loved her when he was about to marry -

no. he couldn't do that.

Jade swung the doors of her closet open with such a force, she could already see the dents in the walls.

"Shut up." Her stormy, ocean eyes burned holes in his perfect face. "It doesn't matter anyways. You can't miss me if you're marrying her. It's not fair -"

"Wait...marrying who?"

Jade stopped pacing around the dressing room to look him in the eye. "Tori Vega?"

she didn't think it was possible to say a name with that much hatred.

Beck's eyes widened. He started to cough but then Jade realized he wasn't coughing - he was laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm not marrying Tori!"

can you die of embarrassment? or do you simply stop breathing and suffer the consequences of being a bitch your entire life?

"But she said...that he -"

"Jade, Tori and I broke up after senior year," Beck explained, resting a hand on Jade's shoulder. "Right after graduation. I wanted to tell you but you had already gone,"

Jade pulled away from the promises of his hand. "Congratulations."

"But is it true?"

"What true?"

"Are you sneaking around with Justin Bieber?" Beck asked, playing with his fingers to hide the jealousy in his eyes and regret in his voice.

Jade didn't cough or pretend to hide it. She straight out cracked up.

Beck rolled his eyes at the sounds of her witch-like cackles. "So I'm taking that as another Hollywood rumor?"

"Please, he's just a kid," Jade said sitting back down in her make-up chair. "I don't date kids."

She hoped that he would get that as the message to leave the room but Beck took it the wrong way.

"And I don't date little girls," Beck said coming closer to her chair. "I date women. Like you,"

"That's where you're wrong, Beck." Jade cut him off and stood up. "I'm not a woman yet. I'm still Jade...just Hollywood-fied."

She tried her best not to turn around and run into his arms as she left him alone in the room of memories and empty lies.

/

Cat stared at her pink roses on her dining room table and pulled one out of the glass vase.

"God hates me, God hates me not, God hates me, God hates me not," She repeated, each time ripping a flower petal off of the symbol of beauty.

"God hates me..not," Cat picked off the last petal and dropped the stem carelessly to the floor. "Maybe I just have really bad luck."

There was a loud banging on the door, which tore Cat away from her thoughts and rose petals. She walked over to the door and opened the door to reveal an unhappy Jade.

unhappy doesn't nearly describe jade at this moment.

"What the hell? He's such a damn fucking douchebag!" Jade nearly shouted, without bothering to say hello. She threw her old monkey-fur purse across the room and slammed her fist down on the table. "Does that damn bastard think he can fucking just come into my dressing room and pretend like shitty senior year never happened - well fuck him!"

Cat never heard so many swears in three sentences.

"Who?" She asked once smoke stopped coming out of Jade's ears.

"Beck."

Cat's heart stopped. Did their past come to haunt them both? Was this a sign from God telling them that they needed to come to terms with their past to finally move on? What the hell was going on?

"Beck came by?" Cat asked rhetorically. "Andre came by my studio,"

Jade stopped pacing back and forth. "Really?"

Cat nodded.

"Ah dammit!" Jade nearly whined as she whipped a dirty plate from the sink across the room. It hit the wall and shattered to pieces, as if it were imitating Cat's heart.

"Jade!"

"How long is it until Robbie comes along and works with one of us? Huh? Or her?" Jade ignored Cat's.

"I don't know and I don't care!" Cat snapped. "You just ruined one of my plates!"

"Is that all you can think about?" Jade asked as if she simply couldn't believe it.

"I'm not going to freak about it! Maybe it's time we faced them again. Maybe this is some sort of sign we can't forever be mad!"

Jade slammed her hand down on the table again, this time making the vase wobble.

"Watch it, Jade!"

Ignoring her again, Jade continued to pace. "I don't have to come terms with all of this. I can make them leave though..."

"This is Hollywood, I don't know if you've realized it yet," The fire in Cat's heart released into words in her mouth. "But here we can't get our way. You can't just tell Paparazzi a stupid rumor about them and expect them to coward back and let it all happen. No - they're going to bite you right back in the ass when you least expect it."

Jade stared at Cat as if she had threatened to choke Jade. Cat braced herself for a punch in the face, once she saw Jade's hands begin to shake and her eyes turn into narrow slits.

But the punch never came.

Instead, Cat felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.

cause i see...sparks fly...whenever you smile

Jade's lips had pressed against hers in fury and passion and Cat didn't stop it. It was wrong - Jade was a girl and she was a girl. This was Hollywood - but this was p e r f e c t.

As soon as Cat had regained conciousness in herself again, the happy feeling was gone as Jade took her lips away.

"I...I didn't mean it," Jade stuttered as their eyes locked on each other.

i didn't mean it.

i didn't mean it.

i didn't mean it.

"I hate you." Cat hissed and turned away. She shutshutshut her eyes closecloseclose to keep the pretty waterfalls inside her head.

She heard footsteps move around the kitchen until they reached the door.

the door slammed so hard it made the paint crack.

/

"I'm really sorry Ca- Cameron -"

"CUT!" Myles, the director, yelled exasperated.

Everyone around Jade groaned, including Beck. This was the 23rd time she had screwed up the simple line.

How hard was it to simply say "I'm really sorry Cameron,"?

impossible cause you really mean to say "I'm really sorry Cat,"

"Jade!" Myles called her name, with impatience in her voice.

Jade ran her fingers through her hair as she walked over. "Look Myles, I'm -"

"What's wrong with you Jade?" He cut her off, standing up from his chair. "You never mess up your lines. You're never late to work."

"I know and I'm sorry...I just had a really rough night last night." Jade sighed and removed her fingers from her hair.

For a moment, Myles had a sympathetic look on his face.

"Well snap out of it!" He snapped. "We have to have this scene filmed by the end of today and we only have Beck for a couple hours more! Places everybody!"

He sat back down in his chair and dismissed Jade. Jade dragged her shoulders as she walked back to her place on set.

"What's up with you?" Beck asked.

"None of your damn business." Jade snapped, sinking to the floor.

He sank down next to her. "Something's up."

"Just leave me the fuck alone! I'm...I'm just tired."

She could feel Beck's eyes on her. "Mhmm.."

"Stop pretending like you know me."

"Stop pretending like you're okay, I know something's wrong."

Jade sighed. "You wouldn't understand. Even I don't understand anymore."

"Romance problem?"

"No." liar, liar, pants on fire.

"So it has nothing to do with the Biebs?"

Jade cracked a smile, then a little laugh broke out. "No Beck...it has nothing to do with the Biebs."

Beck chuckled. "So if it's not a romance problem that means you can swing by Frozen and Fabulous with me after work sometime?"

Jade's lips turned into no but her heart beat them to the punch. "I'd love to."

/

"Maybe I know, maybe I don't know what this is

All I know is...butterfly kisses," Cat screwed up her song for the 23rd time.

"Stop," Bobby said, running his fingers through his hair and coming into her recording booth. "Kitty-Cat...what's -"

"I'm sorry Bobby, I really am. I just can't concentrate right now." Cat apologized, putting her hands in her hands.

"This is your song - own it, Cat. Or else someone else will," Bobby left his words open and left the studio. "One more time."

Cat closed her eyes and imagined. She imagined she was at Times Square, on New Years Eve, and all of her friends and family were there. Her fans were shouting her name, Cat! Cat!, and Tori Vega was staring at her with jealousy and regret in her eyes.

But the most important person there was Jade.

Her eyes held happiness and passion and she was cheering Cat on. She was her biggest fan and her best friend - and Cat couldn't let her down.

"Maybe I know, maybe I don't know what this is

Maybe we're moving with butterfly kisses" Cat sang, putting her heart into her voice.

i'm so sorry Jade.

...

Cat sat in her hot pink Prius, not driving, in the parking lot, staring at her cell phone. It'd been four days since she'd last spoken to Jade and couldn't take her eyes off her picture.

With a deep breath - and a shot of lemonade Vodka - she typed a text and sent it to Jade without breathing.

"can we talk? meet me at Frozen and Fabulous in ten min."

Cat started her car and began on her way to the ice cream store. She turned on her radio and immediately started singing along with Rihanna.

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

But that's all right because I like the way it hurts

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry

But that's all right because I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

She nodded her head along to Eminem's rap and let herself drown in her thoughts.

What should she say?

Should she apologize first?

What if Jade hated her and never wanted to speak to her again?

Cat took another deep breath and stopped at the red light. She took a look at her water bottle and quickly grabbed it and poured it down her throat.

Cat yelped and ran her fingers through her hair before slamming them down on the steering wheel.

#

Once the light continued, Cat began driving and felt her nerves calm down a little. She didn't take another sip though, she couldn't be that drunk when she talked to Jade.

The rest of the drive continued peacefully as she bopped her head and sang along to her Adele CD. Once she reached Frozen and Fabulous' parking lot, she turned off the engine and took one last quick sip of lemonade.

She got out of the car and walked into Frozen and Fabulous, with shaking hands and determination.

What if Jade isn't here?

That turned out to be the least of her worries - it was who Jade was with that made her heart stop beating.

Jade and Beck were sitting at a little booth, eating black raspberry and strawberry ice cream, and laughing. They seemed to be having an amazing time - like they used to at Hollywood Arts before she came along.

While Cat's eyes were glued on the happy coup-friends, Jade chose that moment to look up and they locked eyes.

Cat stopped breathing and tore her eyes away and ran out of the store, leaving her heart in broken pieces on the floor. Would Jade be her princess in shining armor and run after her? Or would she just stomp over the pieces of her heart mercilessly?

just gonna stand there and watch me burn

but that's all right because i like the way it hurts

/

Jade stared at her phone as she sat in her seat across from Beck.

"can we talk? meet me at Frozen and Fabulous in ten min."

Jade saw the text immediately after it was sent but she ignored it. The words "I hate you." floated around in her head and coated her heart with bitter hatred and hurt.

She ignored the text and continued watching Beck's lips as they told her a story about a time he was on set and got chased by a Rottweiler.

and all of the memoriessoclosetome, just fade away

"And then it snapped it's mouth and ripped off the back of my pants!" Beck finished laughing. "And it was the day I wore -"

"Oh God, please don't tell me it was your Mommy's special underpants she got you when you were ten?"

"I was so humiliated I almost left the movie!"

Jade laughed, but it wasn't a real laugh. Being the amazing actress she was, she made it seem like she was having the time of her life.

"You're a hot mess, you know that?" She told him between her laughs. "Oh God - I haven't laughed like this in forever,"

i haven't laughed a fake laugh in forever...

"We should do this more often then," Beck suggested with the tiniest trace of a wink.

"I'm not dating you again, you know. Just...friends."

"Friends...with benefits?" Beck smirked as he picked up his strawberry ice cream.

Jade smirked back as she slowly lifted her hand and pushed the cone to his nose, crushing the strawberry cream all over his face.

"Fuck!" Beck almost choked, causing stares from angry parents and curious kids.

This time, Jade began laughing for real. She tried to cover her face but that caused Beck to laugh along with her as he wiped the ice cream off his face.

Something told Jade to look up. Her eyes moved from Beck's face...

to Cat's big brown eyes.

She saw the look of hurt flash across her face, covered up by an emotionless expression soon after.

Cat broke their gaze and ran out of the ice cream store, faster than she had ever seen Cat run.

Jade felt compelled to run after her, to cure her own b r o k e n h e a r t some other way than messing with Beck's feelings, but she couldn't find it in herself to simply stand up. She wasn't even paying attention to the poor boy as he tried to say something.

"Look Beck, I'm really sorry I have to go -"

"Go? Already? Wait, why?"

"I'm so sorry."

what hurts the most...is being so close...and having so much to say...and watching you walk away

She truly meant that, she hoped he knew as she ran out of Frozen and Fabulous without any sort of explanation however. Jade saw a pink Prius zip out of the parking lot and onto the busy street. She wondered if she should even try to run after her, so she whispered into the wind,

"what's hurts the most is being so close and having so much to say and watching you drive away..."

/

Four months later Cat had finally finished her album, Valentines Day, and had just come from a meeting where they would decide when her album was finally released.

in exactly one month - february 14th.

She was bursting with joy and silliness as she pulled out her phone and logged onto her Twitter account.

"Just one month, Kitty-Cats, until Valentines Day comes out!" She tweeted and exited her Twitter. She clicked on her text messages and stared at Jade's information.

it'd been four months since they'd last spoken.

Cat turned on her car and began driving home. She wasn't paying attention to where she was driving, still caught up in the excitement, until she realized she was going the opposite way instead of home.

She knew where this direction would take her but she wasn't willing to drive away. She missed Jade like crazy...and couldn't take it anymore.

She'd kissed four months worth of Hollywood guys and regular city boys but she didn't see sparks fly. She didn't even feel excited as they went on dinner dates or out to the movies or dancing.

they weren't jade.

She pulled up to the brick apartments where Jade lived and started to bite her fingernails. She quickly pulled them out of hand when she remembered how much Jade hated people who bit their nails.

Cat shakily walked out of her car and nearly rushed back in the car but she pinched herself.

c'mon Catty, we got this.

She gave herself small words of encouragement as she walked inside the brick apartment building. She didn't even notice the little boys and girls, screaming her name and asking for autographs. Once she got to Jade's floor, she hesitantly walked down until she was in front of room 239. She brought her knuckles up to the door and gave it three soft knocks.

"I told you, I don't want any -" Jade thew open the door, to reveal narrowed icy eyes and tight lips. "...cookies."

Jade's face immediately softened but hardened two seconds later. "What are you doing here?"

Cat took relief in the fact that Jade had more hatred in her voice whenever she had to say "hi." to her.

"I...wanted to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. You hate me. I walked away -"

"But I'm sorry. I never hated you, I was...confused."

"So when you're confused you tell people you hate them?"

"You said you didn't mean it!"

Jade sighed. "I didn't mean it like that-"

"So what do you mean?" Cat interrupted her. "Because I know what I mean and I don't hate you. I promise."

Jade sighed one more time and opened her door. "Come in,"

Cat followed her into the apartment. Over the past four months, Jade had redecorated the place. She sat on the torn up black couch and watched Jade pace back and forth in front of her.

"I don't know what I mean anymore, Cat. We were arguing and you told me the truth. We're not at Hollywood Arts anymore and I can't just...humiliate Tori or frame her and get away with it again. And I guess I knew that deep down but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to pretend everything was the same and nothing had changed. But it did."

"Do you like me?"

"Huh?"

"Do you like me?" Cat asked quickly before she could lose her nerve. "Is that why you kissed me?"

Jade opened her mouth but looked completely flustered.

"Because...I think I like you too. Ever since you kissed me, it's been weird with boys. Including Andre, just looking at him makes me sick all over again. And I'm willing to try...if you are."

"Try...dating?"

"Anything you want."

"I'm a mess Cat, you shouldn't ever say that."

Cat giggled. "I like that about you."

Jade looked up into her eyes. "You really mean that?"

"Absolutely. I swear on red velvet cupcakes!"

A smile broke out on Jade's face and a laugh followed soon after. "You know something? I...like you too."

Cat took dominance this time and jumped on Jade. She pressed their lips together and felt the intoxicating and enticing sparks she's been craving for the past four months.

Maybe Tori Vega came into Hollywood Arts five years ago and stole their spotlight, with her famous cheekbones and peppy attitude. Maybe she took some of the most important people away from them. Maybe she got her way, whatever she did, whenever she wanted.

But this time - Tori Vega didn't win.

/

Cat Valentine lives for bright lights and flashy cameras.

Cat lives for red velvet cupcakes, glitter and J a d e.

Maybe one day Cat and Cat Valentine could be one person again. Maybe Hollywood would accept her for being d:i:f:f:e:r:e:n:t and love her for it.

but she knew that maybe was just a hope and fantasy and she could learn to love reality.

Because in reality - Cat's happier than Cat Valentine.

/

Jade West shines in spotlights and red carpets.

Jade shines in insanity, bitter curses, and C a t .

Maybe one day Jade West will slip and let her cover fall, showing the world the bitch she always was. And maybe she won't, maybe she'll always be America's Sweetheart.

But whatever Jade West ends up to be, Jade's sure she's going to end up just

fine because for once in her life - she's happy.

we're moving on with

b u t t e r f l y k i s s e s


End file.
